If a degree is a degree, how come you can get into some universities(for your bachelors) with a lower average?
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Some schools have lower standards to get students but the students still have to maintain the grades to stay. Others make them go to summer school to prove themselves first. I think as long as the subject matter is the same and the grading is the same their really is not much difference. You still have to earn the right to stay to get your degree.It is nice though that there are some schools willing to take a chance on kids who may have played too much in high school but really have the brains for college.
First it should be pointed out that NOT ALL DEGREES ARE CREATED EQUAL! Anyone who tells you otherwise does not have the experience to know better. Part of the value of a degree is related to how much money (or how much more money) you could make once you have obtained that degree. If, the answer is “not much,” then the only true value in the degree may be the pride you get from having it. However, that would not necessarily be a good investment (unfortunately pride doesn’t pay the bills). The additional money usually comes from getting a better or higher paying job or a promotion.
Some jobs and schools may say that your educational background doesn't really matter as long as you have a degree. This is almost always false for any jobs that require a degree. If you don't believe this, try the following experiment. Tell several people that you went to Harvard and then tell several other people you that you went to Jackalope College (name made up to protect the innocent) or some other lesser known school. Pay attention to the differences in their expressions and responses to your statements. Chances are people will be very impressed with your Harvard reference (assuming they believe you) and not so much with your Jackalope reference. If they do seem impressed with the Jackalope reference there are three likely possibilities: 1) They are feigning being impressed to be polite; 2) They have no knowledge of the difference in the admission requirements or rigor of the curriculum between Jackalope and other better known schools or 3) They did not attend college and are simply impressed with anyone who went to ANY college. The same will not likely be true of potential employers.
The value of a degree is based on many factors including the type of degree (B.A., B.S., M.F.A., M.A., M.S. Ph.D. Ed.D. J.D., D.D.S., M.D. etc.) the prestige or reputation of the school from which the degree is obtained (which can be somewhat subjective), the quality of the education program at that school (which does not always correlate with prestige), the quality of the student who obtained the degree (some people get more out of their degree than others), and most importantly what you intend to DO with the degree (e.g. getting a job in a NASA research laboratory would probably be easier with a Ph.D. in astrophysics than with an M.F.A. in music).
First consider what you want to DO with your degree. Getting any old degree just for the sake of having one may not be a wise investment. You may pay a lot of money for a degree that doesn't give you any advantage when applying for jobs that you would want. An M.B.A. can certainly allow more flexibility than say, a Masters in Piano Tuning (or other super-specialized degrees) in that the M.B.A. allows greater transferability of skills so that you are more employable across a broad range of jobs. This is more pertinent today in a time of job out-sourcing and company down-sizing. However, some jobs may require a specific degree (e.g. J.D., D.D.S, M.D.) or a super-specialized degree (e.g. Ph.D. in Chemistry to work at a toxicology lab).
Qualified personnel are in higher demand today in certain key occupations (e.g. engineering of almost any type, finance, laboratory technicians and technologist, etc.). However, you should choose based on both your aptitude (how good you are) as well as your enjoyment of a potential field of employment. Personally, I’d rather work for 60hrs a week at a job I love than 6/hours a week at a job I hate.
Next select the type of degree that would be most appropriate for what you want to do. This may require you to do some research to find out what types of degrees are held by people who are already doing what you want to do. It may surprise you to find out exactly what degrees such individuals actually have.
Next do some research to find the best schools to help YOU achieve what YOU want from your degree (including experience in specific sub-disciplines in which you may have interest). U.S. News and World Report ranks many colleges and professional schools annually. However, remember that rankings based on prestige or reputation can be quite subjective and may not relate to what is important for YOU and your goals. Some schools have actually challenged the U.S. News and World Report rankings system on this basis. Consider that some medical schools, for example, may have a better reputation for training family practice doctors while others may have a better reputation for training doctors who will become research scientists. Thus you should try to identify schools that both offer the degree you need AND have strengths in the areas of emphasis that are most important to YOU and your goals.
That does not mean that you should forget the importance of reputation. An M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business/ University of Pennsylvania (a top ranked business school) will likely open many more doors, yield many more job offers, and offer many better opportunities both upon graduation and in the long term future than an M.B.A. from Jackalope College. Further, the school from which you obtain your degree will follow you throughout your professional career. Twenty years from now people will still ask, “So where did you get your degree?” That is not to say that Jackalope College wouldn't teach good business skills. In some areas it may even exceed Wharton's offerings. But reputation goes a long way.
Of course, prestige is like charm it will get you in the door (the first fifteen minutes), but after that you better know something. For example, I know some people who went to the best schools in the nation and did not learn as much at those institutions as others who went to lesser known schools. Although they graduated from name-brand schools, they have not always been very good at what they do. I know others who went to less prestigious schools and who consistently outpace their more well-honored peers in the work force.
It is equally important to consider what type of learning environment is best for you. For example class size (450 person classes vs. 13 person study groups), teaching staff (Nobel laureates? graduate student teaching assistants? good teachers who know how to communicate ideas even if they don’t have the strongest publication credentials?), facilities (state of the art metropolis vs. traditional small town setting), resources (alumni association, financial aid, tutoring assistance, summer work opportunities, job placement track record, etc.), time commitment (full time student?, part-time options offered?, executive M.B.A.?).
In short, the best strategy is probably to strike a good balance, and find the most prestigious school you can that also offers what you need and that should be where you apply first. Apply to as many schools as you can find that meet those criteria. Exactly how many schools to which you should apply depends on the type of degree and competitiveness of those schools. The good news is that for most degrees there are a multitude of schools and programs that can get you to where you want to go. Again this will requires some research on your part for the programs that are best fit for you.
As far as entrance requirements (which is really a different question), some colleges, universities and professional degree programs place greater emphasis on grades than others. M.B.A. programs are notorious for looking at many factors in addition to grades and scores on standardized exams. While scores are not-unimportant, many programs may take into account previous work or business experience, or time spent doing projects (e.g. Habitat for Humanity, the Peace Corps, enlistment in the armed services, etc.) depending on your level of involvement. There is no one magic formula for all schools. Each school is different in terms of what it requires for entrance and what it considers. This reflects the diversity of emphases that different schools may have and this is very fortunate for the wide diversity of people who are seeking advanced education that is both broad enough to offer them flexibility and yet specific enough to meet their personal educational needs.
Good luck.
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